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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott, a slave from Missouri, lived in Illinois, which was free at the time. Scott returned to Missouri and fought in the courts, claiming that his residence in a free territory automatically made him a free man. The decision was 7-2 for Sandford; slaves could not be American citizens, prohibiting Scott from even being able to sue in federal court. -
13th amendment
The 13th Amendment outlawed slavery within the United States, giving Congress the power to take actions to carry this out. The only remaining circumstance where involuntary servitude was allowed was in punishment for a crime. At first, the amendment passed the Senate, but did not pass the House, so then Lincoln and the other Republicans made the amendment the top of their agenda during his second term. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment explains all people have natural rights and those born in the US are citizens of both the US and their state. Also, the amendment describes the representatives per state, and if any 21 year old males are denied the right to vote, the number of representatives will be reduced. The next sections state that rebels against the US cannot hold a position in the the national or state governments. The US doesn't have to pay citizens back for rebellion or claims for loss of slaves. -
14th amendment
Section 1 says that anyone born in the United States is a citizen of the US and their state, and can't be denied natural rights.
Section 2 explains state representation, and if any 21 year old males are denied the right to vote, the number of representatives will be reduced.
Section 3 states that anyone who has rebelled against the US can't hold a national or state government position.
Section 4 prohibits questioning debt owed by the US regarding rebellion or claims for the loss of a slave. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment gives citizens the right to vote, regardless of race, color, servitude, etc. This helped specifically give African American men the right to vote, post-Civil War. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Louisiana’s Separate Car Act required separate railway cars for blacks and whites. Plessy, who was technically black, decided to sit in a white railcar, and was arrested after he refused to leave. The court ruled that this law was unconstitutional based on the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment. It was argued that even though separate railcars did not imply inferiority of blacks, the railcars designated for blacks were of lesser quality. -
19th Amendment
The nineteenth amendment provides both men and women equal rights to vote. The purpose of the amendment was to help women also get the right to vote during the Feminist Movement. -
White Primaries
White Southerners used white primaries as a tactic to limit the influence of colored people’s political influence. The states began replacing the conventions for nominations with primaries instead, and the African Americans were not allowed to participate because of their skin color. As a result, people of color had a disadvantage when running for positions in politics. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This case responded to multiple relating to segregation of public schools based on race. African American students had been denied access to certain public schools based on laws that segregate public education, arguing that the facilities were separate but equal. It was ruled that these schools for different races were inherently unequal, and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment. -
Poll Taxes
Poll taxes were a legal way to prevent any minorities and some poor white men from voting, completely changing the representation of the people within the United States. The tax was a fee that recently freed African Americans struggled to pay because of the lack of well-paying jobs for colored people at that time. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative action enforced that organizations work to improve opportunities for groups that were excluded in the past, such as women and minorities. This was a result of the 1960's civil rights movement. -
24th Amendment
The 24th amendment gave citizens the right to vote in any primaries or other elections, without having to pay any poll tax or other tax. This helped combat the Jim Crow laws that discouraged African Americans from voting. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned segregation regarding race, religion, or national origin in all public places. This helped African Americans and other minorities not be denied service based on the color of their skin, during times of tension post-Civil War. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned the use of literacy tests, providing federal oversight of voter registration in the areas where less than fifty percent of minorities are not registered to vote. This Act also began an investigation into the use of poll taxes in local and state elections. -
Reed v. Reed
The Idaho Probate law said that men are picked over women in appointing administrators of estates. After their son died, both Sally and Cecil Reed, who were separated, sought this position. It was given to Cecil by default.The court ruled that this preference of men over women was unconstitutional because it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment. -
Equal Rights Amendment
This amendment guarantees that civil rights will not be denied based on sex, ending the legal distinction between men in women when it comes to employment, property, divorce, and other matters. It gives the power to congress to enforce this in situations where gender discrimination occurs. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Bakke applied twice to the University of California, and was rejected both times. His qualifications exceeded those of all minorities admitted when he applied, but the University reserved spots for minorities as part of the affirmative action program. It was ruled that the use of racial quotas in the admission process is unconstitutional, but that affirmative action programs could be constitutional in some cases where it doesn't put the majority at a disadvantage. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Hardwick was seen by a police officer engaging in a consensual homosexual act in his home, and was charged with violating the Georgia law that violated homosexual acts. It was ruled the there is no constitutional protection against acts of this nature, and states could outlaw them. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This law prohibits discrimination of individuals with disabilities in public areas. It seeks to provide equal opportunities disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. -
Lawrence v. Texas
Police responded to a reported weapon disturbance by entering Lawrence’s house, where they found him engaging in a consensual sexual act with another man. The two men were arrested for violating Texas law forbidding intimate contact between people of same sex. It was ruled that this violated the Due Process Clause, which gives them the full right of privacy to engage in this behavior without government intervention.
